Car News Articles

The £25 London congestion charge for gas guzzlers is likely to be scrapped within the next few weeks, CAR Online has learned. A spokesman for Transport for London (TfL) said it ‘wasn’t expecting to implement’ previous mayor Ken Livingstone’s proposed increases planned from 27 October 2008.

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Is Audi about to launch a limited edition run of its speedster TT? The company showed the TT Clubsport Quattro one-off concept at a hot-hatch festival in Austria in 2007 – and today our spies in south Germany have caught this test vehicle on the road.

The Clubsport is a concept car, but when shown at the Wörthersee festival, official Audi spokesmen freely admitted they were ‘considering a low-volume production run’. Think of it as Ingolstadt’s answer to the Smart Crossblade – a PR stunt rather than a volume seller.

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Fully clothed, Danica Patrick graces the cover of the latest issue of Sports Illustrated as the open-wheel world focuses its attention on the 92nd Indianapolis 500. Hands propped on her helmet, Patrick appears over the headline “Yes She Can … Danica Revs Up For Indy.” Patrick scored her historic first IndyCar Series victory at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan on April 20, and will be among the favorites May 25 in her Andretti Green Racing Dallara/Honda. Patrick first made the SI cover after finishing fourth at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a rookie in 2005. And she also was prominently featured in the swim suit issue earlier this year.

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Kristin Varela, Sara Lacey and Emily Hansen talked to Yolanda Vazquez of MotorWeek to let its viewers know what MotherProof.com is all about. MotorWeek airs nationally on PBS (check motorweek.org for times and channels near you). Check out the video to see our spotlight on national TV.

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As I said earlier, you have probably noticed a lack of action here recently. Don’t worry, I haven’t retired from posting cool stuff about cars. I have been working hard on a new project called Speedhunters. The Speedhunters team consists of writers, photographers, and pro drivers from around the world, and we will be covering all aspects of worldwide car culture. You can expect daily coverage, features and insight from the world of drifting, time attack, tuning, street cars, vintage cars, pro racing and much more. There is nothing like it on the net, and it will surely become a hub for car junkies of all sorts.

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The problems at Chrysler are immense: lackluster products, development cutbacks, a hugely bloated dealer network, cash flow issues, you name it. And don’t forget Chrysler Finance. Although the former cash cow is now behind the veil of private ownership, the lender is in deep doo-doo. Not as deep as GMAC’s ResCap. If GMAC’s mortgage unit goes down, it’ll take GMAC with it, and, potentially, sink GM. Even if GMAC somehow makes it though this incipient recession, GM’s supplier problems– including the unresolved strike at American Axle and the ongoing debacle at Delphi– are looking more and more like a Gordian knot making love to a black hole (thank you Jonny). In fact, taken as a whole, GM’s problems are worse than they were in late 2005. Oh, did I mention that the window for Chrysler owners Cerberus to sue Daimler for fraudulent conveyance ends in early August? Folk, it’s getting ugly, and we’re not even calculating Ford’s woes or the simple fact that Detroit’s manufacturing jobs are leaving the country. We will be here through these dog days. When the excrement hits the air re-circulation device, just remember: we told you so. And we will take no joy in what happens next. 

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As U.S. politicians respond to the imperative “Do something, anything about all those soccer moms driving around while yakking on cell phones (except my wife, of course),” it looks like we ain’t got game. According to the country cell phone bans list, use a cell phone whilst driving in New Delhi, India– hands-free or no– and you’re looking at prison time. But do all these legal strictures actually increase road safety? The Wall Street Journal [sub] reports that many researchers have concluded that the only deterrent that makes a difference is the New Delhi solution. The New York Times [reg] recently reported on work from Carnegie Mellon saying that even listening on a hands-free cell phone impairs drivers as much as knocking back a few beers. Nobody seems to talk about the safety benefits of cell phones including calling AAA for help with a flat tire, calling 911 to report accidents, reporting road debris before someone gets hurt or calling in drunk drivers. Perspective people, perspective.

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We’ve known for a quite some time that Chrysler’s partnership with Chery is a long ways off from bearing, um, fruit for the U.S. market. Automotive News [sub] reports that Chrysler has sent engineers over to China to ready the A1 for American importation. Again. Still. “We need small cars,” says Chrysler CEO Tom LaSorda, offering a piercing glimpse into the obvious while riffing on that old flick “Mars needs women.” “Chery’s cars are still not ready for that exposure into these markets.” Nor will they be until that mythic 2010 debut date. LaSorda said China-built cars probably can’t meet U.S. safety and emissions standards for “three years or more.” Chrysler can’t wait to pop its Chery in the North American market. The company announced it will be selling death traps Cherys in Mexico under a Chrysler nameplate while engineers ready the diminutive Chinese whips for the American market. The Bertone-styled Chery A1 will be imported to Mexico by year’s end. While “lucky” Mexicans get to enjoy Chinese-market standards in reliability, build quality and emissions, Yanks will just have to wait before experiencing the joys of Chrysler-branded Chinese personal transportation. Or not. Meanwhile, what?

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Canada (like most other developed countries) has a hard time attracting/keeping auto manufacturing jobs due to high labor and tax costs. To counteract these competitive disadvantages, provincial governments often offer car companies tax holidays and other incentives. The problem with these handouts is that they do not guarantee a long-term presence by the bought-off manufacturers. Exhibit A: GM got handouts worth nearly $250m in provincial tax money (and about $200m in federal funds) for its Beacon project aimed at revitalizing its Canadian production facilities. Now, a few short years later, they’re cutting some 1400 jobs at their Windsor transmission factory, with another 900 lost due to production cuts at the Oshawa truck plant. Having spent some $7b on various automaker subsidies without receiving a single job guarantee, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is coming under fire. “The more money this government invests in a company, it seems the more jobs are lost,” says Progressive Conservative MPP Bob Runciman. But McGuinty ays he “doesn’t regret” giving the money to GM (at least until the next election). Report on Business tells us that GM is set to ask the Ontario government for another $140m to build transmissions at its St Catharines plant. Oh, and don’t expect GM to offer any job guarantees, either.

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Environmental issues have topped cost reduction as the major concern for the auto industry for the first time according to a survey by DuPont and the Society of the Automotive Industry (SAE) [via CNN Money]. The survey of automotive designers and engineers picked a basket of challenges– from CAFE standards to emissions controls– as the industry's top concern, unseating cost reduction after 14 years. Fifty-three percent of those polled selected environmental concerns vs. 32 percent who went with cost reduction, Some 54 percent also say consumers are most concerned with improvements in fuel efficiency; only 37 percent think improved comfort and convenience float purchasers' semi-metaphorical boat. In less surprising news, alternative fuel-powered vehicles were named as the technology with the greatest impact on the car industry for the fifth year running. Biofuels and weight reductions also climbed in importance in this year's poll, completing the snapshot of an industry in transition.

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